The present invention relates to a premium supply apparatus structured such as to supply a premium suspended in a hook provided within a casing in response to a game result and a lock mechanism for a hook so that a premium can drop down at a predetermined drop position within the casing.
Conventionally, there is an apparatus in which a moving base body having a hook-shaped hook fixed is provided within a casing of a game machine, a premium is suspended to the hook and the premium is dropped down at a predetermined drop position within the casing. At the predetermined drop position within the casing, a rod-like resistance bar is provided on an opposite side to the moving base body with respect to the hook. The resistance bar is formed in such a manner as to be able to stop an integral movement of the premium with the hook by contacting with the premium suspended in the hook.
Then, when the moving base body is moved and the premium suspended in the hook reaches the predetermined drop position within the casing of the game machine, the premium is in contact with the resistance bar, so that the movement is stopped. On the contrary, the hook still keeps moving together with the moving base body. As a result, the premium is taken out from the hook in the front end of the advancing direction of the hook on the basis of the resistance bar, and the premium drops down at the predetermined drop position within the casing.
However, in the art mentioned above, there have been the following problems.
Accordingly, since the hook is formed in a hook shape, the hook is positioned within the casing in a state that an opening portion thereof is open. Accordingly, there has been a problem that the premium is dropped down even at the other position than the predetermined drop portion, in the case that the casing is swung or the premium is not sufficiently locked with respect to the hook.
Further, the premium is taken out from the hook by bringing the premium into contact with the resistance bar, however, there has been a problem that an erroneous motion, that is, the premium overrides the resistance bar and is not taken out from the hook, is generated.
Accordingly, an object in accordance with the invention as recited in claim 1 is to provide a lock mechanism for a hook in which a premium can be taken out from a hook at a predetermined drop position within a casing and the premium is prevented from dropping down from the hook at the other position than the predetermined drop position.
Further, in addition, an object in accordance with the invention as recited in claim 2 is to provide a lock mechanism for a hook in which a premium can be taken out from a hook at a predetermined drop position within a casing even in the case that the hook relatively moves with respect to the predetermined drop position and the premium is prevented from dropping down from the hook at the other position than the predetermined drop position.
Still further, in addition, an object in accordance with the invention as recited in claim 3 is to provide a lock mechanism which can securely take out a premium from a hook.
Furthermore, in addition, an object in accordance with the invention as recited in claim 4 is to provide a lock mechanism which can be easily mounted to a base body.
Moreover, an object in accordance with the invention as recited in claim 5 is to provide a premium supply apparatus in which a premium can be taken out from a hook at a predetermined drop position within a casing and the premium is prevented from dropping down from the hook at the other position than the predetermined drop position.
The invention is provided so as to achieve the objects mentioned above.
(Claim 1)
A lock mechanism for dropping down a premium 60 suspended in a base body 40 at a predetermined drop position and for preventing the premium 60 from dropping down at the other position than the predetermined drop position, comprising a base member 40, a hook 10 fixed to the base body 40, suspending the premium 60 and capable of maintaining a state of being easily dropped, and a lock portion 20 for preventing the premium 60 from dropping down by closing an open portion in the hook 10, wherein the lock portion 20 comprises a support point portion 21 axially supported to the base body 40, a rotating piece 22 capable of rotating to both of normal and inverse directions around the support point portion 21 and an operating portion 50 for rotating the rotating piece 22, and the rotating piece 22 is structured such that an end portion thereof is brought into contact with the hook 10 at the position other than the predetermined drop position so as to close the open portion and at the predetermined position, the rotating piece 22 is rotated to a position which does not prevent the premium 60 from dropping down from the hook 10 so that the premium 60 can be taken out.
In this case, the wording xe2x80x9c(the hook 10 is) fixed to the base body 40xe2x80x9d means that the hook 10 capable of integrally moving with the base body 40 is sufficient. Accordingly, in the case that the base body 40 is at a standstill, the hook 10 is also at a standstill, in the case that the base body 40 can be moved as defined in claim 2, it is sufficient that the hook 10 can move in an integral manner with the movement of the base body 40, and in addition to the case that the hook 10 is brought into contact with the base body 40 and fixed thereto, the case that the hook 10 is formed in a such a manner as to be attached to and detached from the base body 40 and can be integrally moved with the base body 40 during the movement of the base body 40 are included.
An operation of the invention as recited in claim 1 will be described.
Since the open portion of the hook 10 is closed at the portion other than the predetermined position, the premium 60 is prevented from dropping down from the hook 10. On the contrary, at the predetermined drop position, the rotating piece 22 rotates and the premium 60 can be dropped down from the hook 10. Accordingly, the premium 60 can be dropped down from the hook 10 at the predetermined drop position by controlling a motion of the operating portion 50, and at the position other than the predetermined drop position, the premium 60 can be prevented from dropping down from the hook 10.
(Claim 2)
The invention as recited in claim 2 is the invention technically restricting the invention as recited in claim 1, in which a resistance portion 30 relatively moving with respect to the base body 40 is provided at the predetermined drop position for dropping down the premium 60, and the resistance portion 30 is formed in a shape for guiding the premium 60 to the open portion in the hook 10 by contacting with the premium 60 and is provided at a position which does not prevent the premium 60 from dropping down from the hook 10.
In this case, the wording xe2x80x9ca resistance portion 30 relatively moving with respect to the base body 40xe2x80x9d means that the resistance portion 30 is formed such that the base body 40 is not relatively at a standstill with respect to the resistance portion 30. For example, in addition to the case that the base body 40 moves with respect to the standstill resistance portion 30 and the case that the resistance portion 30 moves with respect to the standstill base body 40, the case that the resistance body 30 and the base body 40 move at a different speed and to a different moving direction is included.
An operation of the invention as recited in claim 2 will be described.
When the base body 40 relatively moves with respect to the resistance portion 30 so as to reach the predetermined drop position, the premium 60 is brought into contact with the resistance portion 30, so that an integral movement with the base body 40 is stopped. On the contrary, since the hook 10 is fixed to the base body 40, it moves together with the base body 40.
Accordingly, since the open portion of the hook 10 is open at the predetermined drop position in such a manner that the lock portion 20 does not prevent the premium from dropping down, the premium 60 can be taken out from the hook 10.
(Claim 3)
The invention as recited in claim 3 is the invention technically restricting the invention as recited in claim 2, in which the resistance portion 30 is provided with a main body portion 31 positioned at an opposite side to the base body 40 with respect to the hook 10 and contacting with the premium 60, and a side support portion 32 projecting to a direction of the base body 40 from the main body portion 31, and the side support portion 32 is formed in such a manner that an upper end portion thereof is at a position higher than an open end 11 of the hook 10 in the predetermined drop position.
An operation of the invention as recited in claim 3 will be described.
The premium can be securely taken out from the hook 10 due to the presence of the side support portion 32.
(Claim 4)
The invention as recited in claim 4 is the invention technically restricting the invention as recited in claim 2 or claim 3, in which the operating portion 50 comprises a projecting piece 53 fixed to a rotating piece 22 of the lock portion 20, a rotating function portion 51 contacting with the projecting piece 53 in a front side of an advancing direction of the base body 40 so as to rotate and move the projecting piece 53 with respect to the resistance portion 30, and a keeping function portion 52 for keeping a state that the projecting piece 53 rotates until the open portion of the hook 10 is positioned at a back side of the advancing direction of the base body 40 in comparison with the resistance portion 30.
An operation of the invention as recited in claim 4 will be described.
The base body 40 moves toward the resistance portion 30. In this state, the rotating piece 22 closes the open portion of the hook 10. When the projecting piece 53 is brought into contact with the rotating function portion 51 so as to rotate, the rotating piece 22 rotates together with the projecting piece 53, so that the open portion of the hook 10 is opened. Further, when the base body 40 moves toward the resistance body 30, the premium 60 is brought into contact with the resistance portion 30, so that the integral movement of the premium 60 with the base body 40 is prevented. Then, in the state that the premium 60 stays in the front side of the advancing direction of the base body 40 in the resistance portion 30, the hook 10 further moves together with the base body 40. As a result, as well as the premium 60 can be dropped down at the predetermined position, the premium 60 can be prevented from dropping down at the position other than the predetermined position.
Further, the rotating piece 22 can be rotated due to a mechanical structure using the movement of the base body 40. Accordingly, an electrically connecting operation for operating the lock mechanism is not required, and an operation of mounting the lock mechanism to the base body 40 can be made simple.
(Claim 5)
A premium supply apparatus comprising a box-like casing 70, a base body 40 provided within the casing 70, a hook 10 fixed to the base body 40, suspending a premium 60 and capable of maintaining a state of being easily dropped, a lock portion 20 for preventing the premium 60 from dropping down by closing an open portion in the hook 10, a resistance portion 30 relatively moving with respect to the base body 40 provided at the predetermined drop position for dropping down the premium 60 within the casing 70, a discharge passage 80 for discharging the premium 60 dropping down the predetermined drop position to an outer portion of the casing 70, and a discharge port 81 disposed at an end portion of the discharge passage 80 and communicating with the outer portion of the casing 70, wherein the lock portion 20 comprises a support point portion 21 axially supported to the base body 40, a rotating piece 22 capable of rotating to both of normal and inverse directions around the support point portion 21 and an operating portion 50 for rotating the rotating piece 22, and the rotating piece 22 is structured such that an end portion thereof is brought into contact with the hook 10 at the position other than the predetermined drop position so as to close the open portion and at the predetermined position, the rotating piece 22 is rotated to a position which does not prevent the premium 60 from dropping down from the hook 10 so that the premium 60 can be taken out, and wherein the resistance portion 30 is formed in a shape for guiding the premium 60 to the open portion in the hook 10 by contacting with the premium 60 and is provided at a position which does not prevent the premium 60 from dropping down from the hook 10.
An operation of the invention as recited in claim 5 will be described.
Since the open portion of the hook 10 is closed at the portion other than the predetermined position within the casing 70, the premium 60 is prevented from dropping down from the hook 10. On the contrary, at the predetermined drop position, the rotating piece 22 rotates and the premium 60 can be dropped down from the hook 10. Then, the premium 60 dropped down at the predetermined drop position reaches the discharge port 81 through the discharge passage 80, and the premium 60 can be taken out to the outer portion of the casing 70 from the discharge port 81.
Accordingly, the premium 60 can be dropped down from the hook 10 at the predetermined drop position by controlling a motion of the operating portion 50, as well as at the position other than the predetermined drop position, the premium 60 can be prevented from dropping down from the hook 10, and further, the dropped premium 60 can be taken out to the outer portion of the casing 70.